Bill Text: IL HB3544 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates the Care for Retired Police Dogs Program Act. Creates the Care for Retired Police Dogs Program within the University of Illinois system to provide a stable funding source for the veterinary care of retired police dogs. Provides that the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois shall contract with a not-for-profit corporation to administer and manage the Program. Sets forth the required criteria a not-for-profit corporation must meet to be selected for a grant award. Subject to appropriation, requires the Board of Trustees to make grants to the not-for-profit corporation to be the disbursing authority for the Program. Provides that annual disbursements to a former handler or an adopter of a retired police dog to reimburse him or her for the cost of the retired police dog's veterinary care may not exceed $1,500 per dog. Requires the Board of Trustees to adopt rules to implement the Act. Makes a conforming change in the Illinois Vehicle Code.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2025-03-21 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB3544 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB3544-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB3544 Introduced , by Rep. Bradley Fritts SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act
625 ILCS 5/3-699.8
Creates the Care for Retired Police Dogs Program Act. Creates the Care for Retired Police Dogs Program within the University of Illinois system to provide a stable funding source for the veterinary care of retired police dogs. Provides that the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois shall contract with a not-for-profit corporation to administer and manage the Program. Sets forth the required criteria a not-for-profit corporation must meet to be selected for a grant award. Subject to appropriation, requires the Board of Trustees to make grants to the not-for-profit corporation to be the disbursing authority for the Program. Provides that annual disbursements to a former handler or an adopter of a retired police dog to reimburse him or her for the cost of the retired police dog's veterinary care may not exceed $1,500 per dog. Requires the Board of Trustees to adopt rules to implement the Act. Makes a conforming change in the Illinois Vehicle Code.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning retired police dogs.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Care
for Retired Police Dogs Program Act.
Section 5. General Assembly findings. The General Assembly
finds that:
(1) police dogs are an integral part of many law
enforcement and correctional efforts statewide, including
the apprehension of suspects through tracking and
searching, evidence location, drug and bomb detection, and
search and rescue operations;
(2) law enforcement and correctional agencies agree
that the use of police dogs is an extremely cost-effective
means of crime control and that police dogs possess skills
and abilities that frequently exceed those of existing
technology;
(3) the service of police dogs is often dangerous and
can expose them to injury at a rate higher than that of
non-service dogs; and
(4) police dogs provide significant contributions to
the residents of this State.

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Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
"Correctional agency" means a lawfully established State
or local public agency having primary responsibility for the
supervision, protection, care, custody, control, or
investigation of inmates at a correctional institution.
"Law enforcement agency" means a lawfully established
State or local public agency having primary responsibility for
the prevention and detection of crime or the enforcement of
penal, traffic, highway, regulatory, gaming, immigration,
postal, customs, or controlled substances laws.
"Retired police dog" means a dog that was previously in
the service of or employed by a law enforcement agency or a
correctional agency in this State for the principal purpose of
aiding in the detection of criminal activity, enforcement of
laws, or apprehension of offenders and that received
certification in obedience and apprehension work from a
certifying organization, such as the National Police Canine
Association or a similar certifying organization.
"Veterinarian" has the same meaning given to that term in
the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004.
"Veterinary care" means the practice, by a veterinarian,
of veterinary medicine as defined in Section 3 of the
Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004. The term
includes annual wellness examinations, vaccinations, internal
and external parasite prevention treatments, testing and
treatment of illnesses and diseases, medications, emergency

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care and surgeries, veterinary oncology or other specialty
care, euthanasia, and cremation.
Section 15. Establishment of program. The Care for Retired
Police Dogs Program is created within the University of
Illinois system to provide a stable funding source for the
veterinary care of retired police dogs.
Section 20. Administration. The Board of Trustees of the
University of Illinois shall contract with a not-for-profit
corporation organized under Article 2 of the General Not For
Profit Corporation Act of 1986 to administer and manage the
Care for Retired Police Dogs Program. The Board of Trustees of
the University of Illinois shall select the not-for-profit
corporation through a competitive grant award process. The
not-for-profit corporation must meet all of the following
criteria:
(1) Be dedicated to the protection or care of retired
police dogs.
(2) Be exempt from taxation under Section 501(a) of
the Internal Revenue Code as an organization described in
Section 501(c)(3) of that Code.
(3) Have maintained such tax-exempt status for at
least 5 years.
(4) Agree to be subject to review and audit at the
discretion of the Auditor General in order to ensure

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accurate accounting and disbursement of State funds.
(5) Demonstrate the ability to effectively and
efficiently disseminate information and to assist former
handlers and adopters of retired police dogs in complying
with this Act.
Section 25. Funding.
(a) Subject to appropriations made by the General Assembly
from the Illinois Police K-9 Memorial Fund to the University
of Illinois for implementation of this Act, the Board of
Trustees of the University of Illinois shall make grants to
the not-for-profit corporation contracted by the Board of
Trustees of the University of Illinois under Section 20 to be
the disbursing authority for the Care for Retired Police Dogs
Program. These funds must be disbursed to the former handler
or the adopter of a retired police dog that served for 5 years
or more as a police dog upon receipt of:
(1) valid documentation from the law enforcement
agency or correctional agency from which the dog retired
that verifies that the dog was in the service of or
employed by that agency; and
(A) that the dog served 5 years or more with that
agency;
(B) that the dog served a total of 5 years or more
with 2 or more law enforcement agencies or
correctional agencies; or

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(C) that, notwithstanding the length of service
requirements elsewhere in this paragraph (1), the dog
served 3 years or more with one or more law enforcement
agencies or correctional agencies, was injured in the
line of duty while serving with a law enforcement
agency or correctional agency, and retired from the
agency the dog was serving with at the time of the
injury due to such injury; and
(2) a valid invoice from a veterinarian for veterinary
care provided in this State to a retired police dog and
documentation establishing payment of the invoice by the
former handler or the adopter of the retired police dog.
(b) Annual disbursements to a former handler or an adopter
to reimburse him or her for the cost of the retired police
dog's veterinary care may not exceed $1,500 per dog. A former
handler or an adopter of a retired police dog may not
accumulate unused funds from a current year for use in a future
year.
(c) A former handler or an adopter of a retired police dog
who seeks reimbursement for veterinary care under this Act may
not receive reimbursement if funds appropriated for the Care
for Retired Police Dogs Program are depleted in the year for
which the reimbursement is sought.
Section 30. Administrative expenses. The University of
Illinois shall pay to the not-for-profit corporation

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contracted by the Board of Trustees of the University of
Illinois under Section 20, and the not-for-profit corporation
may use, up to 10% of appropriated funds each fiscal year for
the not-for-profit corporation's administrative expenses,
including salaries and benefits.
Section 90. Rules. The Board of Trustees of the University
of Illinois shall adopt rules to implement this Act.
Section 100. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
changing Section 3-699.8 as follows:
(625 ILCS 5/3-699.8)
Sec. 3-699.8. Illinois Police K-9 Memorial Plates.
(a) The Secretary, upon receipt of all applicable fees and
applications made in the form prescribed by the Secretary, may
issue special registration plates designated as Illinois
Police K-9 Memorial license plates. The special plates issued
under this Section shall be affixed only to passenger vehicles
of the first division, motorcycles, autocycles, or motor
vehicles of the second division weighing not more than 8,000
pounds. Plates issued under this Section shall expire
according to the multi-year procedure established by Section
3-414.1 of this Code.
(b) The design and color of the plates is wholly within the
discretion of the Secretary. The Secretary may allow the

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plates to be issued as vanity plates or personalized under
Section 3-405.1 of the Code. Appropriate documentation, as
determined by the Secretary, shall accompany each application.
The Secretary shall prescribe stickers or decals as provided
under Section 3-412 of this Code.
(c) An applicant shall be charged a $40 fee for original
issuance in addition to the applicable registration fee. Of
this additional fee, $15 shall be deposited into the Secretary
of State Special License Plate Fund and $25 shall be deposited
into the Illinois Police K-9 Memorial Fund. For each
registration renewal period, a $27 fee, in addition to the
appropriate registration fee, shall be charged. Of this
additional fee, $2 shall be deposited into the Secretary of
State Special License Plate Fund and $25 shall be deposited
into the Illinois Police K-9 Memorial Fund.
(d) The Illinois Police K-9 Memorial Fund is created as a
special fund in the State treasury. All moneys in the Illinois
Police K-9 Memorial Fund shall be paid, subject to
appropriation by the General Assembly and distribution by the
Secretary, as grants to the Northern Illinois Police K-9
Memorial for the creation, operation, and maintenance of a
police K-9 memorial monument and for grants under the Care for
Retired Police Dogs Program Act.
(Source: P.A. 103-843, eff. 1-1-25.)